"I don't want to sound smug but I am reasonably satisfied with how it's gone. I think it's fine"
About this Quote
What follows is almost aggressively undercooked: “reasonably satisfied,” “how it’s gone,” “I think it’s fine.” The language keeps stepping down from the emotional ledge. “Reasonably” shrinks triumph into competence; “how it’s gone” dodges specifics, implying a career arc without naming successes; “fine” is the flattest praise in the English-speaking world, a word that can mean contentment or quiet panic depending on the weather. Here it reads as studied restraint, a way of asserting control over his own narrative: no grand statement, no self-mythology.
The subtext is more interesting than the modesty. Firth is staking out a persona that has long been culturally valuable: the capable professional who refuses to audition for your adoration. In celebrity culture, where oversharing is monetized and personal branding demands superlatives, this is anti-spectacle. It’s also a subtle flex. To say “it’s fine” when “it” is a decorated, decades-long career is to imply that success has been normalized - and that he has the self-possession to treat it like work.
Quote Details
| Topic | Contentment |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Firth, Colin. (2026, January 15). I don't want to sound smug but I am reasonably satisfied with how it's gone. I think it's fine. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-dont-want-to-sound-smug-but-i-am-reasonably-143431/
Chicago Style
Firth, Colin. "I don't want to sound smug but I am reasonably satisfied with how it's gone. I think it's fine." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-dont-want-to-sound-smug-but-i-am-reasonably-143431/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I don't want to sound smug but I am reasonably satisfied with how it's gone. I think it's fine." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-dont-want-to-sound-smug-but-i-am-reasonably-143431/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.

